A pocketed marble game simulating space travel

ABSTRACT

A marble game simulating space travel. Indentations in a playing surface represent 10 solar system bodies. Travel between the heavenly bodies is accomplished by shooting a marble from one indentation to another. Subgrooves represent such things as &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;Safe Landings,&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;Crash Landings &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; and &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;Lost in Space.

United States Patent lnventor Geoge 1E. Sonntag 10555 West Spencer Place, Milwaukee, Wis. 53224 Appl. No. 21,441

Filed Mar. 20, 1970 Patented Sept. 7, 1971 POCKETED MARBLE GAME SIIMIULATING SPACE TRAVEL 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 273/ R, 273/ A, 273/123 R Int. Cl A631: 63/00, A63f 7/14 Field of Search 273/1 18 R,

118 A, 118 D, 123 R, 123 A, 108, 1 13, 115, 124R, 124 A, 125 R, 125 A,95 111,95 A,95 8,95 C,95 D, 95 E,95 F, 95 6,95 H, 105 R, 105 A, 105.1,

861,841 1,052,771 1,315,927 Des.87,733 2,565,584

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 4/1903 Mueller 273/123 R 7/1907 Heitmann 273/123 R X 2/1913 Totten..... 273/123R 9/1919 Geib 273/123 R 9/1932 SteigermH 273/123RUX 8/1951 Arm strong 273/118 R X Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Arnold W. Kramer Attorney-Alter and Weiss ABSTRACT: A marble game simulating space travel. Indentations in a playing surface represent 10 solar system bodies. Travel between the heavenly bodies is accomplished by shooting a marble from one indentation to another. Subgrooves represent such things as Safe Landings," Crash Landings and Lost in Space.

PATENTED SEP 7 197i INVENTOR GEORGE E. SONNTAG 25M flw4 AM FIGB ATTORNEYS POCKETEI) MARBLE GAME SIMULATING SPACE TRAVEL My invention relates to games, and more particularly to games played with conventional marbles, or the like.

The object of my invention is to provide a surface plate indented at numerous places to guide and receive the marbles, or the like used in playing the game, into the predetermined location for the purposes of the game.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described, that is a self-contained integrally constructed unit, amenable to being placed into any location and designed to guide the marble into the proper position.

Still another object of the invention is to locate the plurality of indentations, in proper relation to one another, and slant the sides of the indentations at the proper angle to accomplish the purpose for which it is intended.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game plate that may be operated without any special mechanical skill.

The prime object of my invention is to provide a. game board designed to apply itself to the specific game to be played. The description of the device applies itself to the simulation of travel within our solar system, in which the planets are positioned around the Sun. The cavities, or indentations are designed to permit the player to manipulate the marble in a manner to approach the right planet in its proper rotation.

The device is very simple in construction, has no moving parts, is economical to manufacture, and efficient for the purpose for which it is intended.

Other and further objects of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1, is a perspective view of the entire surface plate showing the indentations placed in proper relation with one another, and showing the outer channel.

FIG. 2, is a cross-sectional view of the surface plate taken at the line 2-2, in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3, is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of an individual indentation, illustrating the arrangement of the circular recess groove for the accommodation of the marble employed in the playing of the game, and

P10. 4, is a vertical cross-sectional view of the support which may be used in the playing of the game.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring now to the same, the character shows generally the surface plate constituting the base of the game. This plate 10 is shown supported at its outer peripheral edges by vertical standards shown as ill, and attached to the plate in any convenient and efficient manner.

The surface plate 10 is formed to provide a plurality of indentations, circular in contour, and arranged in a manner to represent planets arranged in proper relation to one another. Referring to FIG. 1, the indentation 12 represents the Sun, and is centrally disposed, the character 13 would identify Mercury, 14 represents Venus, 15 simulates the Earth, 16 represents Mars, 17 represents Jupiter, the planet Saturn is shown as 18, Uranus as 19, Neptune as 20, and the planet Pluto as 21.

All these indentations from 13 to 21 inclusive, are spaced on the surface of the plate 10, which plate is slanted and terminates downward toward the indentation 12 shown as the Sun. The slope of the plate 10 represents the Suns gravitational fieldv Everyone of the indentations are provided with a secondary indentation 30, (see FIG. 3), and arcuately disposed grooves or ridges 23, surrounding the secondary in dentation 30, as shown in the cross-sectional view in FIG. 3. Obviously the surface plate 10, may be of any form, shape, or contour, or if desired the device may be constructed with just two indentations, for a smaller and more simplified version of the game.

The object of the secondary indentations is to permit the player of the game, to support the marble in his hand in the conventional manner and eject it in the usual way, while his hand is disposed in the secondary indentation. However, the marble can be aimed and propelled by other means also. In FIG. 4, I show a radial support 24 onto which the hand of the player rests while shooting the marble, as an aid to shooting, if required. This support 24 rests on leg sections 25 in the radial ridge 23. In this manner the players hand may rest on the support 24-, while he is ejecting the marble to the preselected indentation in the progress of the game. The design of the support will permit the play to shoot the marble at any angle and in any direction. Obviously the support is designed so it may be moved from one indentation to another. The device is primarily designed to permit a game to be played that is a simulation of travel within our solar system. The varied planets shown by the characters 13 to 21 inclusive, are positioned on the playing surface 10. All the planets are positioned on the playing surface around the Sun 12, in the same order as they rotate around the Sun 12. Each planet is represented by the dished indentations, shown in FIG. 3, for example.

The slope of the sidewalls 29 of the indentations may be in some proportion to the planet gravity field, Thus, the greater the gravity, the greater the slope of the walls. The depth of the pockets may also be related to the planets size and gravitational field.

The game is played by shooting a marble from one indentation to another in the conventional marble shooting manner. To do this the marble is shot from the fingers of the hand, with the hand in the pocket or indentation representing the planet. The shot must be made up and out of the planet indentation, toward the indentation representing the planet being shot at. Whenthe marble approaches an indentation representing the planet, it will be influenced by the slope of the dished surface around it, and will roll toward it and down the incline.

A successful landing is made on the planet when the marble ends upin the outer groove 23, of the planet shot at (see FIG. 3). A landing in the secondary indentation as 30, is considered a crash. To land in the planets outer groove 23, the marble must come into the planets dished surface 29, in a tangential manner, so it will spiral down, and end up in the outer groove 23. Coming down the highest slope, the marble will tend to jumpfrom the outer groove 23, to the secondary indentation which is considered a crash landing.

The outer channel 31 which extends around the entire peripheral edge of the surfaceplate 10, is employed to keep the marble onto the playing surface 10. A marble landing within the channel 31 is considered a lost shot and is lost in space" in the rules of the game. Another facet of the game, is that the entire playing surface shown as 10, has a general slope toward the Sun 12. With this feature a missed shot, that does not end up in the edge groove 31, will end up in the Sun 12, and is out, being vaporized by the Sun, in the playing of the game.

An aperture 22 may be provided at the vertex ofindentation 30 to aid in clearing the game board and to minimize any collection of moisture thereon.

From the above description it will become apparent that the device will function for the purpose intended, and although I have shown aspecific construction and arrangement of the parts, the size of the game, and features constituting my invention, I am fully cognizant that many changes may be made without effecting its operativeness, and I reserve the rights to make such changes as I may deem necessary, without depart ing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by letters patent in the United States, is:

1. An educational game using conventional marbles or the like,

said game comprising a surface plate,

said plate being formed to provide a plurality of separated primary indentations,

planets surrounding a sun,

with a central one of said primary indentations representing the sun, each of said indentations including a secondary indentation,

and a closed groove being integral with and connecting a sloping lower side wall of each said primary indentation to the top portion of said respective secondary indentation associated, therewith whereby a marble coming into the primary indentation in a manner tangential to the rim of the wall will spiral down said wall and land in the groove which is considered a safe landing and the marbles that land within the secondary indentation being considered to have crash landed. 2. The game of claim 1 wherein vertical standards are provided to support said plate, and wherein said plate is conically shaped with said central primary indentation at the vertex of the cone whereby the plate slants toward said central primary indentation.

3. The game of claim 2 wherein a notched groove is provided surrounding the entire outer periphery of said plate, whereby the marbles are prevented from leaving the plate.

4. The game of each of claim 1 wherein the sidewalls of said primary indentations are angularly shaped in proportion to their gravity field with respect to the gravity field of the planet represented by the primary indentation.

5. The game of claim 4 wherein movable support means are provided in which a player may rest his hand while he is ejecting the marbles, and

said movable means being shaped to fit into any of said grooves surrounding said secondary indentations. 

1. An educational game using conventional marbles or the like, said game comprising a surface plate, said plate being formed to provide a plurality of separated primary indentations, said primary indentations being arranged to represent planets surrounding a sun, with a central one of said primary indentations representing the sun, each of said indentations including a secondary indentation, and a closed groove being integral with and connecting a sloping lower side wall of each said primary indentation to the top portion of said respective secondary indentation associated, therewith whereby a marble coming into the primary indentation in a manner tangential to the rim of the wall will spiral down said wall and land in the groove which is considered a safe landing and the marbles that land within the secondary indentation being considered to have crash landed.
 2. The game of claim 1 wherein vertical standards are provided to support said plate, and wherein said plate is conically shaped with said central primary indentation at the vertex of the cone whereby the plate slants toward said central primary indentation.
 3. The game of claim 2 wherein a notched groove is provided surrounding the entire outer periphery of said plate, whereby the marbles are prevented from leaving the plate.
 4. The game of each of claim 1 wherein the sidewalls of said primary indentations are angularly shaped in proportion to their gravity field with respect to the gravity field of the planet represented by the primary indentation.
 5. The game of claim 4 wherein movable support means are provided in which a player may rest his hand while he is ejecting the marbles, and said movable means being shaped to fit into any of said grooves surrounding said secondary indentations. 